A Golden Shower Close To The Mighty River Rhine

Hundreds of legends speak of the great river Rhine. It is a mystical river.

Over the years its flow has been changed and aligned and altered to suit the needs of mankind.

But it if you have ever travelled on or along it you know it will always be a mystical river.

In summer you can cycle for miles along the dam walls that have been constructed to regulate the flow while you watch the ships of all nationalities pass by. In middle of August, when the European summer has reached its peak, the flowers grow in army-strength-like numbers on the meadows bordering the small sandy path.

You will encounter other people on bicycles or on foot but it happens often that you encounter no one for hours. 

Finally you sit down on its border to take a rest and a deep breath.  

Now the river speaks to you of its past. And the legends become alive again.

Come Under My Umbrella

My Place

My place

where I used to lay

and sit

and write

and read

and dream and talk to myself

where a river runs through it

is really far now

Where I met you

Where I met you,

I wish I could go back there.

CROSSING THE RIVER .... OR WHO PAYS THE FERRY MAN ?

When there is too much conscious thinkin it's time to let the creative mind and intuition taking over again.
And there is a place....... across the river that is perfect to let go of all thoughts.

Of course there is the a price to pay to get across the river.

And the wait for the ferryman can sometimes be a long one........

cause the ferry does not exactly travel at speed of light.

and there has to be strict order who goes on and off.

But the view is worth the wait..... because there is really only the river, the sea in the distance with thundering waves and you....

and the ferryman who is the master of the river and has been with the river since many years. Rivers are like women he says, you have to get to know them intimately to master them and convince them to play along.

.
Doing this trip forth and back may be 20, 30 or 50 times - he must know.Forth and back over the Hades but always look ahead, never look back. That's crucial. No good to look back in anyway, says the ferryman.

and follow his instructions rigourosly..........

or you will be in trouble with the young ferry man.

But there is always time for a chat if you can find someone to talk to...while crossing the river.

Quolora By The Sea

Quolora by the Sea

Quolora by the sea is a tiny fishing village situated at the beautiful and rough Wild Coast in South-Africa. It has a couple of fishing cottages and most of them look as if they have been built at the beginning of the last century. There are two hotels as well, one is called Trenneries and the other one Seagull. Few people live there permanently and the little village has the flair of a forgotten place throughout the year that has survived the rapid development of our time and proudly shows its own " Zeitgeist" . It wakes up at at the end of the year when the cottages are inhabited by their owners who have traveled sometimes 1000 of km's to celebrate Christmas and the end of the year here. The two hotels, which have not been treated kindly by the salty sea wind are fully booked for a couple of days.

And if Quolora is in a good mood you an expect this: a deep blue sky and vast sea with foamy white waves, fresh seafood and long nights.

BUT before you get there one has to travel 50 km from the inland to the coast and then cross the " pond". In an end-of-the-world-atmosphere under a grey sky with stormy quickly each other chasing clouds we arrived at Kei Mouth and were lucky to be the only car at the ferry. Sometimes there can be a long wait becaue the ferry only takes two cars. Time for cold beers.


Pedastrians do not pay to cross the river and are seated on the small wooden bench at the side of the ferry. Usually you are greated at the other side by women from the villages around selling their handmade jewelery and handwoven baskets. Also not a bad place for a house.

In "high season" there are 2 ferries and we meet each other on the river. 

 

A quad bike taking a small fishing boat down to the river mouth.

On the other side of the pond annual fishing competitions take place and the local newspapers report who has caught the biggest fish- long after everbody knows it.

This one is a little bit bigger for deep sea fishing and was just coming back..